Snap-hook for jib-stays.



PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

mm w v W o m LY a Yu 3 m u .BR H D W & n N mm z LHm Mun P WWA J L E D 0M O N UNITED STATES Patented August 30, 190 s.

PATENT Trice.

JAMES YVALLAOE AND WILLIAM H. TAYLOR, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND,ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SAID WALLACE.

SNAP-HOOK FOR dlB-STAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,921, dated August30, 1904. Application filed April 4, 1904:. Serial No. 201,485. (Nomodel.)

To (all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES WVALLAGE and IVILLIAM H. TAYLOR, citizens ofthe United States of America, and residents of Providence, in the countyof Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Snap-Hooks for J ib-Stays, of which the followingis a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in snap-hooks, and more especiallyto snap-hooks arranged to be secured to the edge of jibs or sails andadapted to be readily attached to or detached from the jib-stays ofyachts or other sailing vessels; and it consists, essentially, of thefixed or normally stationary member having a semihook or eye at one endand at the other a base portion capable of being seized to the edge orbolt-rope of the sail and a laterally-movable spring-pressed fellowmember, pivoted to the shank of the fixed member, having a semihook oreye overlapping the cor responding portion of the other member andforming the complement thereof, all as will be. more fully hereinafterset forth and claimed.

We are well aware that laterally-separable snap-hooks for harnesses,&c., have been devised prior to our invention. In such formersnap-hooks, however, the outerend portion thereof was bent and extendedcircumferentially quite a distance beyond the center or eye proper, thecross-sectional area of such bent portion being materially increased inorder to render the sustaining capacity of the hook approximately equalto an integral or closed eye.

The object we have in view is to provide a cheap or inexpensivesnap-hook for jib-stays, the device being adapted to be readily attachedto or disconnected from the stay at will. The cross-sectional area ofthe eye or hook portion proper is substantially uniform throughout, theends or center portions of the members being halved or locked togetherand extending past each other a considerable distance in oppositedirections.

Another advantage possessed by our improved snap-hook for jib-stays isthat the outer edge or bolt-rope of the sail or jib may be broughtnearer the stay than is possible when other devices of this class areused,

thereby correspondingly increasing the sail.

movable member the latter may be readily swung laterally or sidewiseupon engaging the lug with the stay itself and imparting a slight twistto the corresponding portion of the sail.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, illustrating our improvedsnap-hook for jibstays, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device. Fig.2 is a corresponding edge or side elevation. Figs. 3 and 4 are frontviews of the two principal members of the hook detached from each other.Figs. 5 and 6 are corresponding side views of said members, and Fig. 7isa perspective view of the spring employed for automatically closingthe hook.

In carrying out our improved snap-hook A for jib-stays we employ anormally stationary member a and the movable or laterallyswinging member6, jointed at c to the shank portion a of the former. The member a isalso provided with an elongated integral base d, the latter beingarranged at right angles to the plane of the hook, the width of saidbase being equal to or slightly exceeding the combined thickness of thetwo shank portions (0 and b. The form of the base cross-sectionally isas drawn concavo-convex, thereby adapting it to conform to the outer orboltroped edge of the sail. It may be secured to the latter by seizingstuff in a well-known manner.

' The outer portion a of the bend or eye of the member (0 extends wellpast the center line at and is cut away or divided circumferentially toform a lipped seat a The corresponding portion 7) of the other member I)is cut away circumferentially to receive the said part a, thecross-sectional form of the hook at said reduced portions being circularor cylindrical and smooth. In other words, the cross-sectional area ofthe eye proper is substantially uniform throughout, both through thesolid part and the divided portions. v

The member?) is provided at or near the outer end with an integralprojecting lug or lip 7), adapted in use to engage the stay and therebyopen the hook for the reception of the stay or for detaching ittherefrom.

The shank a is counterbored to receive a short helical spring .9 andalso to receive the hub U of the movable member 6. One end, 5, of saidspring is held in a recess (1?, formed in the shank, the other end, sbeing held in a recess 5, formed in the face of said hub, a rivet or pin0, passing through the center of the joint, serving to maintain theparts in proper relation, all as clearly shown. It will be seen that theface of said shank portion a is provided with an elongated notch 64,into which the end of the spring extends beyond the recess 6, therebyforming a stop for limiting the swinging or angular movement of themember 6 when the hook is opened. (See also Fig. 1.)

In Fig. 2, 7' indicates a stay, and 0" a portion of a jib or sail havingits edge bound with a bolt-rope r and having our improved snap-hookfastened thereto. The said parts 7', 9", and r are indicated by dottedlines.

'W e claim as our invention and desire to secure by United StatesLetters Patent 1. As an improved article of manufacture, theherein-described snap-hook for jib-stays, the same consisting of thenormally stationary or fixed member (4 having an integral base or footadapted to be secured to the edge of a jib or sail, and a spring-pressedmember 7) pivoted to member a, the outer ends of said two members beingbent and extending past each other and also cut away to form a joint orseat, substantially as set forth.

2. In a snap-hook of the class described, the combination of arelatively stationary member a bent to form a partial eye or loop, aspring pressed member bpivoted or jointed to mem her (4 also bent toform a partial eye, the adjacent ends of said bent portions beingreduced in thickness and overlapping each other and when closed forminga continuous eye, and having said member 0/ provided with a base (1,arranged at right angles to the axis of the joint-pivot, adapted to beseized to the bound edge of a sail or jib, substantially as described.

3. In a snap-hook of the class described, the combination with the mainmember {0 provided. with an attaching-base, of the spring-pressed member6 pivoted to said member (a, the outer ends of the eye portions of eachof said members being partly cut away and extending beyond each side ofthe median line 7]) and in engagement with each other, substantially asdescribed.

4:. In a snap-hook of the class described, the combination of therelatively stationary member a and the spring-pressed memberb pivoted tothe shank of said member a, and having the free end of the movablemember provided with a projecting outer lug 7) located in the plane ofthe hooks eye, substantially as described and shown.

5. In a snap-hook of the class described, th combination of therelatively stationary mem her at having a counterbored recess formed inits shank, a helical spring s mounted and held therein, a fellow member5 having its shank provided with an integral short hub movably fitted insaid counterbore and retaining the other end of said spring, and asecuring pin or rivet passing through the shank portion of said membersand spring, substantially as described.

Signed at Providence, Rhode Island, this 2d day of April, 1904:.

JAMES \VALLAGE. M. H. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

Gno. H. REMINGTON, G. E. Jucu.

